Skiving apparatus



March 11, 1969 H. GIRARD 3,431,679

SKIVING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1966 Sheet of 5 INVENTOR.

FIG.

ATTO R N EYS LAURENT H. GIRARD March 11., lgfi H GIRARE) SKIVING APPARATUS s m & w f We R O l 2, l W T. e 4 U. QM m M Filed April 12, 1966 March 11., W69 1.. H. GIRARD 3,431,679

SKIVING APPARATUS v Filed April 12, 1966 Sheet 3 of 5 I 7 -1NVENTOR.

LAURE'NT H. GIRARD ATTORNEYS EMMA,

United States Patent 3,431,679 SKIVING APPARATUS Laurent H. Girard, Bedford, N.H., assignor to American Velcro, Inc., a corporation of New Hampshire Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 433,341, Feb. 17, 1965. This application Apr. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 542,048 US. Cl. 51-5 2 Claims Int. Cl. B24b 7/00, 9/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Skiving apparatus is provided for moving sheet material to and from a skiving station to remove upstanding elements from an end portion of sheet material from which the elements extend. The apparatus includes cutting means for severing an unskived end portion of the sheet material that is held during skiving and automatic means are provided for moving the cutting means from a position out of the path of travel of the fastening means to a position in the path of travel of the fastening means to sever the unskived end portion of the sheet material. This automatic means for movement of the cutting means includes switch means operatively connected with the means for moving the cutting means which switch means is mounted for actuation by reciprocal movement of the fastening means to bring the cutting means into the path of travel of the sheet material following skiving and out of the path of travel following cutting of the end portion.

This is a continuation-in-part of my earlier copending application Ser. No. 433,341, filed Feb. 17, 1965.

This invention relates to skiving apparatus and more particularly it relates to apparatus for skiving hooking elements which extend from one surface of a fabric sheet material.

The .pile fabric to which the invention has particular applicability is generally described in U.S. Patent No. 3,009,235. Basically, the pile fabric sheet material consists of a base sheet material which has a surface defined by hooking elements secured thereto in positions extending generally vertically from one surface of the base sheet material to which they are secured. The hooking elements are formed from a flexible resilient material into either hooks or loops of the type characterized by the property that by pressing a surface defined by the hooks in faceto-face relation with a surface defined by the loops will result in a large number of hooks engaging a large number of loops to secure the members in face-to-face relation.

In my co-pending application referred to above, a method is described for joining lengths of this pile fabric lengthwise to form a more extended length of one type of hooking element or a composite structure of the two types of hooking elements. The method described involves skiving the hooking elements down to the surface of the base material usually along a marginal end portion of a length of pile fabric so as to present a rather flat smooth marginal end portion which is substantially free from the vertically extending hooking elements. A marginal end portion is then overlapped with a second length of sheet material and the two flat surfaces are adhesively joined together.

This invention relates to apparatus for skiving hooking elements from the marginal end portions of lengths of pile fabric sheet material which has particular utility in the practice of the method described in my copending application. Broadly stated, the apparatus contains releasable fastening elements for holding a length of pile fabric sheet material and skiving means for skiving the hooking elements from the sheet material along an end portion thereof. Reciprocal means are provided for moving the fastening means with the sheet material held therein from a first loading station spaced from the skiving means to at second skiving station wherein the hooking elements are skived from the sheet material and back to the loading position. Tape cutting means are positioned for movement into the path of travel of the sheet material after skiving to cut the endmost unskived portion held in the fastening element from the length of sheet material as the sheet material is conveyed away from the skiving means. The skiving means preferably is a grinding wheel and the fastening members are advantageously parallel spaced members which the grinding wheel fits between during the skiving operation.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinbelow with reference to the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation partly in section of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front fragmentary section of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along the lines 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side section taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section of joined lengths of pile fabric sheet material.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the apparatus is comprised of a horizontally extending base plate 10 suitably supported by legs or the like and has attached to the top surface of the base plate two upstanding laterally spaced plates 11 and 12. Mounted on and supported by upstanding plates 11 and 12 are two parallel spaced guide rods 13 and 14. Slidably mounted on the guide rods is a platform assembly 15 which is suspended on the upright plates 11 and 12 and is slidable on the guide rods from one plate to the other. The platform assembly includes bearing mounts 16 and 17 which are journaled on the guide rods for smooth sliding action.

Extending laterally from one upstanding plate 11 is an air cylinder 18 which has one end portion mounted on a bracket 19 which is fixed to the base plate 10 and has its piston rod 20 extending through the upright plate 11 and connected to the platform assembly 15. By means of this air cylinder, the platform assembly is reciprocated between the upright guide plates 11 and 12 on the guide rods 13 and 14.

The platform assembly 15 has a substantially fiat platform surface 15' and extending from the platform surface along one end portion of the platform assembly are two elongated parallel spaced clamp plates 21 and 22 which extend parallel to the direction of travel of the platform. Each clamp plate is identically mounted as the other and therefore description of one will sufiice for the description of both. Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, connected to opposite end portions of the clamp plate 21 and extend ing through the platform surface 15 are vertically extending rods '23 and 24. Extending laterally across the bottommost end portions of the rods 23 and 24 is a bracket 25 which is attached to the rods by suitable screw elements 26 and 27 which extend into the rods from the under side of the bracket. Mounted on the under side of the platform surface 15' and positioned between the two rods 23 and 24 and overlying the bracket 25 is an air cylinder 28. A piston rod 29 of the air cylinder extends downwardly from the cylinder 28 and is connected to the bracket 25 at its midpoint by a pin 30. As shown in FIG. 4, both clamp plates 21 and 22 are similarly mounted and both are joined to a common air source so that they can be controlled to move together. In the extended position of the cylinder rod 29, the clamping element is brought downwardly against the clamping surface and in its retracted stroke, the clamping element is raised above the platform surface 15', a sufiicient distance to permit a length 31 of pile fabric sheet material to be inserted beneath the clamping plates 21 and 22.

As shown in FIG. 4, positioned beneath clamping plate 21 is an elongated raised end abutment bar 32 against which the endmost edge of the sheet material will be abutted properly to align the end of the sheet material beneath the clamping plates. As shown in FIG. 1, an elongated raised side abutment bar 33 is also provided and extends generally perpendicular to the second clamp plate 22 against which one elongated side edge of the sheet material can be abutted to cooperate with the end bar to align the sheet material in the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 4, one side edge portion of each of the clamping plates 21 and 22 has downwardly extending elongated clamping'portions 34 and 35 which are provided along adjacent sides of the clamping plates. These clamping portions extend downwardly to a lower position. It is these clamping portions 34 and 35 which will hold portions of the sheet material against the platform surface 15'. It is to be noted that the rearmost clamping plate 21 holds substantially the marginal endmost portion 36 of the sheet material adjacent the abutment plate 32 tightly fixed to the platform and the clamping plate 21 holds a portion spaced back from the endmost portion of the sheet material. The clamping plates 21 and '22 are spaced from each other to define a lateral opening 38 therebetween and it is the hooking elements extending upwardly from the sheet material in this space that are to be skived. It is desirable to provide a plate 39 in the platform under this space which is of a hardened metal and will resist wear along this portion of the platform during skiving and cutting.

Referring again to FIG. 1 as well as FIGS. 3 and 4, a stationary grinding wheel 40 is positioned to fit into the space between the clamp plates 21 and 22 when the platform is laterally moved by means of the air cylinder 18. The grinding wheel 40 is powered by a motor 41 which is suitably mounted on the base plate by a motor mount 42. The grinding wheels used are of a vitrified bonded aluminum oxide silicone carbide with a coarse to medium grain size abrasive. The wheels are designed to run at surface speeds of from 2,750 to 6,500 feet per minute.

Extending upwardly from the upstanding plate 12 is a mounted bracket 43 to which is attached a laterally extending substantially L-shaped plate 44 which serves as an eye shield during the skiving operation.

Referring now to FIG. 2, mounted on the base plate and extending laterally from a position substantially in alignment with the grinding wheel to a position adjacent the upstanding plate 12 is a cam track 45. Mounted on the platform assembly is a switch assembly 46 which has an actuating switch 47 extending downwardly with a cam follower 48 attached to its endmost porton. The cam follower 48 is aligned with the cam track 45 and will ride on the cam track causing the switch to be actuated as the platform is moved from its first loading position adjacent upstanding flange 1-1 and spaced from the grinding wheel to its second skiving position where the platform is moved laterally by the grinding wheel.

Depending from the base plate 10 is an air cylinder 49 which is mounted to the underside of the base plate by a suitable bracket 50. Extending out of the air cylinder is a cylinder piston rod 51 to which is attached a connecting element 52 which connects a laterally extending connecting rod 53. A connecting rod has an upwardly extending pivot arm 54 pivotally connected to an end portion of the connecting rod 53 and the pivot rod 54 is pivotally mounted near its midportion to a bracket assembly 55. Extending laterally inwardly from its uppermost portion is an arm 56 which has a knife blade '57 fixed to its endmost portion. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the extension of the cylinder piston rod 51, causes the pivot arm 54 to move the knife blade down into the position shown in FIG. 4,

namely, in the path of travel of the platform in alignment with the space defined between the clamp plates 21 and '22. The knife blade 57 rides along the plate 39 in the platform surface 15 adjacent the rearmost clamp plate 21 adjacent the clamp portion 34 to sever the unskived endmost portion 36 of the sheet material.

In operation, the platform assembly 15 is in its first loading position adjacent the upstanding plate 11 with the piston rod 20 of the air cylinder 18 in its withdrawn position. By means of a switch 60, the air cylinders 28 and 28 are actuated causing the clamping plates 21 and 22 to be raised and a length of sheet material is inserted beneath the clamping plates and is aligned by contacting the end and side abutment bars 32 and 33. Switch 60 is thrown again and the cylinders 28 are actuated to bring the clamping plates tightly against the sheet material in the position shown in FIG. 4. Switch 61 is then actuated causing the cylinder 18 to move the entire platform assembly 15 laterally away from upstanding plate 11 and toward upstanding plate 12. The grinding wheel is also actuated and as the platform is moved to its skiving position, the hooking elements are skived from the sheet material in the space between the clamp plates 21 and 22 to form a flat smooth surface therebetween.

-As the platform is moved laterally, the cam follower .48 rides on the cam track 45 and the switch 46 is actuated causing the knife blade 57 to be pivoted down in the path of travel of the sheet material. Continued movement of the sheet material toward the plate 12 causes the blade 57 to cut the endmost portion 36. After cutting the endmost portion of the sheet material, the sheet material can be removed while the platform is positioned on the opposite side of the grinding wheel or it can be returned to its first position and removed there at the option of the operator. To return the platform 15 to its loading posi tion, the switch 61 is thrown and the platform is moved toward plate .11.

Once skived a length of sheet material 65 can be overlapped with a marginal end portion of a second length of sheet material 66 and joined together as shown in FIG. 5.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for removing upstanding elements from an end portion of sheet material from which the elements extend comprising:

(a) releasable fastening means for holding a length of sheet material with a portion thereof exposed,

(b) skiving means for skiving the upstanding elements from the exposed position to the sheet material,

(c) reciprocal means for moving the fastening means with a length of sheet material held therein from a loading station spaced from the skiving means to a skiving station at the skiving means and back to the loading station,

(d) cutting means for severing an unskived end portion of sheet material which is held in the fastening means, and

(e) means for automatically moving said cutting means from a position out of the path of travel of the fastening means to a position in the path of travel of the fastening means to sever an end portion of the sheet material including switch means operatively connected with said means for moving the cutting means and mounted for actuation by cam means during reciprocal movement of the fastening means to bring the cutting means into the path of travel of the sheet material following skiving and out of the path of travel following cutting of the material.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving the cutting means includes an air cylinder for moving the cutting means, switch means for actuating the air cylinder mounted for movement with the fastening means, a cam follower mounted on said switch means and a cam track aligned for contact by the cam follower and for actuating the switch during reciprocal movement DONALD R. SCHRAN, Primary Examiner.

of the fastening means.

References Cited G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS S. Cl. X.R. 2,436,466 2/1948 Wilson 5192X 5 51 34 3,090,167 5/1963 Aokerman 5134 3,336,700 8/1967 Kuzmik 515 

